How the three-dart average works
Add up the points you scored, divide by the darts you threw, and multiply by three. It is your score per visit of three darts. Win a leg of 501 in 18 darts and your average for that leg is 501 ÷ 18 × 3 = 83.5. Take 30 darts and it is 50.1.
A bust usually counts as three darts for no points, which is why busts hurt an average so much. A perfect nine-dart leg averages 167, the most a finished leg can.
Averages by level
There is no official table, and the bands below overlap, but they are a fair guide for steel-tip 501:
| Level | Three-dart average |
|---|---|
| Starting out | 25–40 |
| Pub player | 40–55 |
| League or county | 55–70 |
| Development and Challenge Tour | 70–85 |
| PDC tour professional | 85–100 |
| World class | 100+ |
So if you average 45 at the pub, you are doing fine. A 60 average wins plenty of league games. Ton-plus averages used to be rare even on TV; now the top professionals post them regularly.
First 9 average
Your first 9 average only counts the first three visits of each leg, before anyone is thinking about a finish. It shows how well you score, so it is nearly always higher than your full average. A big gap between the two means the points are going in early and the darts are going missing on the way to a double.
PPR, PPD and Cricket’s MPR
- PPR (points per round) is the three-dart average — the number used in PDC and WDF darts.
- PPD (points per dart) is a third of it. Many soft-tip and North American leagues use it: a 20 PPD player averages 60.
- MPR (marks per round) is the Cricket version: marks scored per visit, where a treble is three marks. Around 1 is a newer player, 2 a good league player, and 3 or more very strong.
The highest averages
The televised record is 123.40, by Michael van Gerwen against Michael Smith in the 2016 Premier League. Records like that come from short matches; over a whole tournament even the best players sit nearer 100.
How to raise your average
- Pick one scoring bed and stay on it. Treble 20 or treble 19 — switching every dart costs more than it saves.
- Practise your doubles. The darts you miss at a double are scored at zero. Learn the checkout chart so you leave a good double.
- Count every leg. Averages from real legs tell you more than practice scores. Play legs, look at the average after each one, and watch the trend.
- Play better players. You score more when you have to.
Track your average on darts180
- After every 501 leg, the summary shows your AVG, FIRST 9 and the checkout next to your opponent’s.
- Cricket legs show MPR.
- Free in your browser — no download, no account to start.